Special Mention Awards

Special Mention Awards - 2006

his
wouldn't be a true awards ceremony if we didn't give out some Special
Mention Awards to recognize achievements that went above and beyond (and
a few that flew below) our expectations.

Although we come across like know-it-all's, we're truly humbled by the
talent that inhabits this industry. How lucky our we that we get to experience
it on a daily basis? Yeah, pretty darn lucky. Let's take a moment and
hand out some Special Mention Awards (some good, some bad).

Underdog Award - Nintendo

Nintendo gets the Underdog Award for going toe to toe against Sony
and Microsoft and coming out a winner. Nintendo not only had a smoother
launch than Sony and Microsoft, but their reinvented handheld system,
the DS Lite continues to fly off storeshelves as well, leaving Sony's
PSP in the dust. Lest we forget however that Nintendo once ruled the
game industry with an iron fist and burned many bridges in the process,
so be careful what you wish for Nintendo fans... They may reach number
1 again, but at what cost to you?

Why Her? Award - Hilary Duff

We spend most of our days and nights trying to avoid Hilary Duff,
so why in heck did EA decide to feature her and her dog Lola in
The Sims 2: Pets? We're guessing that whole franchise has gone to
the dogs, pun not intended.

Good Customer Service Award - Microsoft

After admitting that a certain percentage of their first batch
of Xbox 360's were faulty, Microsoft has extended the warranty on
their system from 90 days to a full year. Bravo! It has also went
on record to say that systems manufactured before Jan. 1, 2006 will
be repaired at no cost to the consumer. Those who did pay out of
pocket, will be reimbursed. Wow! Can you guys let Sony know how
to do this? The first step is admitting it....

Funnest Creation Tool Award - Mii Channel (Nintendo)

The Mii creation tool seems really weak, until you really get your
hands dirty, discovering all sorts of cool tricks and techniques to
make celebrity characters. You're only limited by your imagination
and your skills. Playing Wii Sports is now a celebrity-filled party
with The Incredibles, Hellboy, Charlie Brown, Alice Cooper, Batman
and Jason from Friday the 13th! Cool!

Best Online Service Award - Microsoft

This is a no-brainer. Xbox Live is still the online service to beat.
You don't even need to pay for the service to access the best features!
Weekly game downloads of upcoming hits, trial versions of Xbox Live
Arcade titles, Movie and Game trailers, interviews...it's all great.
Nobody handles online like Microsoft. Nobody.

Best Voice-Acting Award - The Godfather: The Game

When you get Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Abe Vigoda
to record voice-acting for your game, you know it's going to be
aural dynamite. Unfortunately Al Pacino kept his distance, preferring
instead to lend his likeness to the Scarface game. Hands down, The
Godfather features some of the best voice-acting in a game to date.

Hawtest Video Game Vixen Award - Midna (LOZ: Twilight Princess)

Midna might be short and stubby, but we think she's hawt stuff! Don't
judge a book by its cover, you might be surprised at how this little
gal turns out in the end.

What Were They Thinking Award - Square Enix

Let's take one of the most beloved games in the history of gaming
and completely destroy its legacy by turning it into a lame-brained
shooter with lousy controls, dopey story and lackluster AI. Mission
accomplished! Dirge of Cerberus - FFVII was a mess and the definitive
"What were they thinking" moment in 2006.

Best Visuals Award - Gears of War

Epic has always been able to wring every last drop of processing
power to pack a punch into video game graphics and Gears of War
is their latest shining achievement. The action comes to life in
GoW as everything in the game is cranked up to 11 from the word
go. The intense white-knuckle roadie run, where the camera follows
along low to the ground and shakes like you're watching a takedown
on an episode of Cops is pure brilliance.